Miles Scott, 5, is dressed as Batkid outside San Francisco's City Hall with Mayor Ed Lee, left, and Batman on Nov. 15. / Jeff Chiu, AP

by USA TODAY

by USA TODAY

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The city of San Francisco is being rescued from paying the cost of staging the "Batkid" fantasy that captured the nation's imagination.

Philanthropists John and Marcia Goldman are picking up the city's $105,000 tab for allowing Miles Scott, a 5-year-old Northern California boy with leukemia, to fight villains and rescue a damsel in distress as a caped crusader on Nov. 15.

Maria Kong of the John and Marcia Goldman Foundation confirmed a San Francisco Chronicle report Sunday about the couple's gift.

City officials say most of the $105,000 in public funds went toward renting a sound system, video screens and other equipment to accommodate the surprisingly large crowds that turned out to see "Batkid," who became a social media darling.

The elaborate fantasy was arranged by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

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